Daiichi Sankyo Appoints John Tsai, MD as Global Head of R&D

TOKYO & BASKING RIDGE, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited (TSE: 4568) has appointed John Tsai, MD to succeed Ken Takeshita, MD, who is stepping down as Global Head of R&D, effective April 1, 2026.

Dr. Tsai will bring more than 25 years of proven leadership and experience driving innovation to further grow the rich Daiichi Sankyo pipeline, as well as lead the acceleration of new science to bring needed medicines to patients. He will join from venture capital firm Syncona Investment Management, where he was an Executive Partner responsible for starting new biotech companies based on scientific innovation and also driving execution across several biotech companies focused on oncology, cardiovascular and kidney disease therapeutic areas.

Previously, Dr. Tsai was the President and Head of Global Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer of Novartis AG where he led the development of 160 new projects and 500 clinical trials leading to global approvals for 15 new medicines, including new breakthrough technologies such as gene therapy and radioligand therapy. He also gained deep experience in both clinical development and medical affairs serving as the Chief Medical Officer at Amgen and the Head of Late Phase Development at Bristol Myers Squibb. Dr. Tsai holds a medical degree from the University of Louisville School of Medicine and a bachelor of science degree in Electrical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis.

“John Tsai will bring unique expertise to our continued pursuit of cutting-edge science and technology and will be a formidable addition to the Daiichi Sankyo leadership team as we execute our next five-year business plan and beyond,” said Hiroyuki Okuzawa, President and CEO, Daiichi Sankyo. “We thank Ken Takeshita for leading the global transformation of our R&D function, including the development of the company’s industry-leading antibody drug conjugate portfolio. We wish him the best for his professional future.”

“Joining Daiichi Sankyo at such a pivotal time is both an honor and exciting opportunity. Daiichi Sankyo has built a world-class scientific organization, and I look forward to building on this legacy to further drive innovation for patients,” said John Tsai.

About Daiichi Sankyo
Daiichi Sankyo is an innovative global healthcare company contributing to the sustainable development of society that discovers, develops and delivers new standards of care to enrich the quality of life around the world. With more than 120 years of experience, Daiichi Sanky leverages its world-class science and technology to create new modalities and innovative medicines for people with cancer, cardiovascular and other disease with high unmet medical need. For more information, please visit www.daiichisankyo.com.